Missouri officials investigate bacteria as cause of deaths

ST. LOUIS (AP) - The Missouri Health Department is investigating whether staph bacteria caused the deaths of two St. Charles County residents.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that medical officials confirmed Wednesday they are looking into whether staph, also known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, is linked to the February deaths of a 48-year-old woman and her 19-year-old son.

The St. Charles County Department of Community Health and the Environment said in a statement Friday that the deaths appeared to be isolated and there was no public health risk.

In a 2013 report from the Centers for Disease Control, about 80,000 people were infected with the bacteria each year, and about 11,000 people die.